Welcome to LLR's Website

The Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (LLR) mission is to promote the health, safety and economic well-being of the public through regulation, licensing, enforcement, training and education. Director Richele Taylor

South Carolina Labor Programs

South Carolina and federal laws are the source of various rights employers and employees have in their employer/employee relationships. LLR is one of several state and federal agencies, which administers the laws assuring these rights. Occupational safety, payment of wages, child labor, migrant labor and mediation of disputes between unions and businesses all fall under LLR. Elevators and amusement rides also are regulated to assure the public's safety. Learn more about Labor Programs

**The Office of Advice Counsel is responsible for providing legal advice to all Boards, Commissions and Panels, as well as their administrative staff. These attorneys do not provide legal advice to parties outside LLR.

Supervised professional employment (SPE) means direct clinical work with patients, consultations,
record keeping, or any other duties relevant to a bona fide program of clinical
work. It is expected, however, that a significant amount of clinical experience
will be in direct clinical contact with persons who have communication
disorders. Time spent in supervision of students, academic teaching, and
research, as well as any administrative activity that does not deal directly
with management programs of specific patients or clients will not count toward
completion of the SPE.

Supervised Professional Employment Requirements

The period of SPE is defined as not less than nine months of full-time professional employment,
whether or not for wages or other compensation. Full-time employment means a
minimum of 30 clock hours or work per week. This requirement may also be met by
part-time employment as follows:

1. 15 to 19 hours of work per week over a period of 18 months;
2. 20 to 24 hours of work per week over a period of 15 months; or
3. 25 to 29 hours of work per week over a period of 12 months.

In the event that part-time employment is used to fulfill a portion of the SPE, 100 percent of
the minimum hour requirements for part-time work must be spent in direct
professional employment as defined above.

Supervisory Responsibilites

SPE supervision must entail the personal and direct involvement of the supervisor in observations of
diagnostic and therapeutic procedures that will permit the SPE supervisor to
monitor, improve and evaluate the intern's performance in professional clinical
employment. The supervision must include on-site observations of the intern.
Other monitoring activities such as conferences with the intern, evaluation of
written reports, and evaluation by professional colleagues may be executed by
correspondence. The intern's supervisor must base the total evaluation on no
less than 36 monitored activities (a minimum of four hours per month).
The monitoring activities must include at least 18 on-site observations (a minimum of two hours each month). Should a supervisor suspect at any time during the SPE that an intern will not meet the requirements of this
section, the supervisor must counsel the intern both orally and in writing and
maintain carefully written records of all contacts and conferences in the
ensuing months. Should an intern feel that the level of supervision provided
does not meet the terms of the agreement and efforts to negotiate internally
are ineffective, the intern should make arrangements for a change in
supervisors and contact this office immediately. Within one month of completion
of the SPE, the supervisor must conduct a formal evaluation of the intern's
performance and submit the evaluation to the board. Such evaluation must be
completed on a form approved by the board, must be signed and dated by both the
intern and the supervisor, and must include a recommendation by the supervisor
that in his opinion the intern either is or is not qualified for full
licensure. If, for any reason, there is a change in supervisors, the former
supervisor should immediately notify the board in writing that the supervisory
agreement has been discontinued. At the time of license renewal, supervising
licensees are to list the names of all interns they are supervising. A licensee
who supervises any intern must maintain responsibility for all services
performed or omitted by such intern(s).

Addendum for Supervisors of Speech-Language Pathology Assistants

'Speech-language pathology assistant' is defined as an individual who provides speech-language pathology services as prescribed, directed, and supervised by a speech-language pathologist licensed under this chapter. A person represents himself to be a speech-language pathology assistant when he holds himself out to the public by any title or description of services incorporating the words 'speech aid', 'speech-language support personnel', 'speech assistant', 'communication aid', 'communication assistant', 'speech pathology technician', or any similar variation of these terms, to describe a function or service he performs.

PRACTICE REQUIREMENTS AND PROHIBITIONS.

Education

A bachelors degree in Speech-Language
Pathology must include as a minimum the following core curriculum of 36
semester hours and not less than 100 clock hours of clinical practicum.

1. Directed Teaching in Speech Correction (6 Semester Hours)

100 clock hours of supervised clinical practicum in not less than two different sites.

2. Basic Area (6 Semester Hours)

Anatomy, physiology, mechanics, and function of the ear and vocal mechanism.

Phonetics

Semantics

Speech and Voice Science

Psychology of Speech

Experimental Phonetics

3. Speech Pathology and/or Correction Courses (12 Semester Hours)

Stuttering

Articulation

Voice Disorders

Cleft Palate

Aphasia

Cerebral Palsy

Psychogenic Speech Disorders

Pathological Speech Disorders

4. Audiology (3 Semester Hours)

Testing of Hearing

Introduction of Audiology

Auditory Training

Speech Reading

Speech for the Deaf or Hard of Hearing

5. Psychology (6 Semester Hours)

Human Growth and Development

Psychology of Adjustment or Abnormal Psychology

6. Basic Course in Public Speaking (3 Semester Hours)

General Guidelines

1. No speech-language pathology assistant may begin working in direct contact with clients/patients without the board's written approval of the supervisory agreement and on the job training plan.

2. Only a speech-language pathologist with an active license which has been issued by this board and which is in good standing may supervise speech-language pathology assistants.

3. A speech-language pathologist may supervise no more than two full-time or three part-time speech-language pathology assistants. Full-time is defined as 40 work hours per week.

4. If, for any reason, there is a change in supervising speech-language pathologist, it is the responsibility of the supervising speech-language pathologist to notify the board in writing within seven working days that the supervisory agreement has been discontinued.

5. The assistant's license shall become void when the authorized supervisor is no longer available for supervision. The license will be reactivated upon receipt and approval by the board of a new supervisory agreement and the change in supervising speech-language pathologist fee specified in Section 40-67-70.

6. At the time of license renewal, supervising speech-language pathologists are to list the names of all those speech-language pathology assistants they are supervising.

7. A speech-language pathology assistant may work part-time for more than one supervising speech-language pathologist provided that the board has approved supervisory agreements for each supervising speech-language pathologist.

8. A licensed speech-language pathologist who supervises any speech-language pathology assistant must provide each speech-language pathology assistant with on the job training and must maintain responsibility for all services performed or omitted by such speech-language pathology assistant(s).

On-the-Job Training

At a minimum, on-the-job training (OJT) must include step-by-step instruction of each and every service or task the speech-language pathology assistant is to perform and continuous visual observation by the supervising speech-language pathologist of the speech-language pathology assistant's performance of each service or task until the supervising speech-language pathologist establishes the speech-language pathology assistant's competence. The supervising speech-language pathologist must maintain a written record of each service or task indicating the activity, date, time, and location of the training demonstration and observations. This record must be signed by both the supervising speech-language pathologist and the speech-language pathology assistant and a copy must be provided to the
speech-language pathology assistant. The supervising speech-language pathologist and the speech-language pathology assistant must maintain such records for a period of four years and such records must be made available to the director or his designee upon request.

Supervision - General

Supervising speech-language pathologists are responsible for all the clinical services provided or omitted by the speech-language pathology assistant(s).

When speech-language pathology assistants provide direct services, the supervising speech-language pathologist is responsible for informing, in writing, all the clients (or their legal guardians), referring agencies, and third-party payers. Further, it is the supervisor's responsibility to ensure that the assistant is clearly identified at all times as an assistant by means of a name tag or
similar identification.

At no time may a speech-language pathology assistant perform tasks when the supervising speech-language pathologist cannot be reached by personal contact, phone, pager, or other immediate means. The supervisor must make provisions, in writing, for emergency situations including designation of another licensed speech-language pathologist who has agreed to be available on an as needed basis to provide supervision and consultation to the assistant when the supervisor is not available. If for any reason (i.e., maternity leave, illness,
change of job) a supervisor is not able to provide the level of supervision stipulated, the assistant may not perform client contact tasks.

Direct Supervision

Following initial OJT, direct supervision of each speech-language pathology assistant must consist of a minimum of 15% (6 hours per 40 hour work week) or one of every seven visits per patient of direct, visual supervision of client contact to include a sampling of each assigned service or task. This direct supervision must be documented in writing. This documentation must be maintained by the supervising
speech-language pathologist for a period of four years and must be made available to the director or his designee upon request.

Indirect Supervision

In addition to direct supervision, indirect supervision is required a minimum of 5% (2 hours per 40 hour work week) and must include review of written records and may include demonstrations, review and evaluation of audio- or video- taped sessions, and/or supervisory conferences.

Quarterly Reviews

In addition to direct and indirect supervision, the supervising speech-language pathologist must conduct quarterly performance reviews of each speech-language pathology assistant's performance of each assigned service or task. Such quarterly reviews must document, on a form approved by the board, direct observation of each task or service assigned to the speech-language pathology assistant. These reviews must be signed by both the supervising speech-language pathologist and the speech-language pathology assistant and must be maintained by the supervising speech-language pathologist for a period of four years and must be made available to the director or his designee.

Scope of Practice

The supervising speech-language pathologist accepts full and complete responsibility for all services and tasks performed or omitted by the speech-language pathology assistant. Provided that education, training, supervision and documentation are consistent with that defined in this chapter, the following tasks may be designated to the speech-language pathology assistant:

8. Assist the supervising speech-language pathologist in research projects, in-service training and public relations programs.

9. Sign treatment notes which must be reviewed and co-signed by the supervising speech-language pathologist.

10. Discuss with the client, his guardian or family members specifically observed behaviors that have occurred during treatment when such behaviors are supported by documented objective data.

11. Upon assignment of the supervising speech-language pathologist, present information designated in writing by the supervising speech-language pathologist regarding patients/clients at staffings or conferences.

2. Participate in parent conferences, case conferences, or any interdisciplinary team meetings where diagnostic information is interpreted or treatment plans developed without the presence of the supervising speech-language pathologist or designated licensed speech-language pathologist.

3. Provide patient/client or family counseling.

4. Write, develop, or modify a patient/client's treatment plan in any way.

5. Assist with patients/clients without following a documented treatment plan which has been prepared by a licensed speech-language pathologist and for which the speech-language pathology assistant has not received appropriately documented OJT.

6. Sign any formal documents (e.g., treatment plans, reimbursement forms or reports) without the signature of the supervising speech-language pathologist.

7. Select patients/clients for services.

8. Discharge patients/clients from services.

9. Disclose clinical or confidential information either orally or in writing to any one not designated in writing by the supervising speech-language pathologist.

10. Make referrals for additional services.

11. Provide any interpretation or elaboration of information that is contained in reports written by any licensed speech-language pathologist.

12. Represent himself to be a speech-language pathologist.

13. Make advertisement or public announcement of services independent of the supervising speech-language pathologist.